


A Roll in the Hay

by zubeneschamali



Series: sheriff!Jensen and gunslinger!Jared [4]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Wild West AU, sheriff!Jensen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 04:53:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17318453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zubeneschamali/pseuds/zubeneschamali
Summary: Part of the sheriff!Jensen/gunslinger!Jared 'verse. Jensen's been taking care of Padalecki while he recovers from his injuries when Jared asks him for help of a different kind.





	A Roll in the Hay

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't realize I had been away from these boys for so long! Thanks to dugindeep for beta reading.

Padalecki didn't wake up for almost three days.

Jensen was changing the bandage for the second time on the long scrape on Jared's left arm when he started to stir. Sitting back on his heels, Jensen watched as Jared's eyes slowly blinked open. 

He looked at Jensen right away, gaze clear and focused as if he had just laid down in the hay for a short nap. He tried to speak, but all that came out was a croak, and his eyes went wide.

"Take it easy." Jensen put a hand on his shoulder before reaching back for the canteen. "Here, you need water." He held up the metal canister and supported it while Jared raised a shaky arm to guide it to his lips. 

Jared took a couple of small sips and then slumped back against the hay. This time, his voice was stronger, if still raspy. "How long?"

"It's Saturday, 'bout noon," Jensen said. "I found you here Wednesday evening."

Jared nodded slowly. He motioned towards the canteen, and Jensen helped him take another drink. When he was done, he carefully moved aside the horse blanket that had been covering him. Jensen watched as Jared looked down at himself, taking in how his right arm was strapped to his chest, his left leg was in a splint, his torso was a mass of yellow-and-purple bruises, and the gash on his arm was open to the air. Both legs of his jeans had been cut away to get at the injuries underneath

Then he looked up at Jensen. "Figures you'd…get m'clothes off…right away."

Jensen rolled his eyes and held up the bandage. When Jared held out his arm, Jensen finished wrapping it up. "You dislocated your shoulder," he explained. "I popped it back in, but it needs to be immobile for a while yet. The splint is to keep your knee still. I think it's just a sprain, but we'll see when you're up to walking. The bumps and bruises are getting better, and so far, I don't see any infection on this arm."

"Ribs?"

"They might hurt, but I didn't feel any breaks. Your breathing seems okay, too." He tied off the bandage and held out the canteen again. "More?"

Jared shook his head. "You a doctor or somethin'?"

Jensen took a swig of water before setting the canteen back down on the floor of the stall. "I was a medic in the war."

"Oh." Jared considered that for a moment. Then he said, "Not gonna ask for who."

Jensen gave him a wry smile. "Don't want to find out we were on opposite sides there, too?"

"'Zactly." Jared sighed and settled back against the hay with a wince. 

"Sorry about the accommodations." Jensen pulled the blanket back up over his patient. "Can't have you in my house, though, in case my deputy or someone else stops by."

"Marshal?"

Jensen shook his head. "He's gone back to Santa Fe. Saw you—" He broke off and gestured with a broad arc of his hand. "Figured the fall did you in."

"Lazy," Jared replied with a faint grin. "Not like you."

Jensen didn't reply, throat suddenly closing up at the memory of thinking Jared had fallen to his death. He turned away and started gathering up his supplies.

Jared grabbed his wrist with surprising strength, waiting until Jensen was looking at him to speak. "Why?" he asked, eyes boring into Jensen's. 

Jensen had been asking himself that same question for the past three days, and he still wasn't entirely sure of the answer. Or maybe he didn't want to admit to the answer, but that was another matter. What he said was, "I learned that there were two kinds of men in the war. One did what they had to do. The other kind…they _enjoyed_ it." He waited for Jared's slow nod of understanding before going on, "I'm the first kind. Pellegrino and his men—they were the second."

Jared's face was deadly serious, even if his voice was barely a whisper. "Which one…am I?"

Jensen gently extracted his wrist from Jared's grasp, laying Jared's arm back across his chest and pulling the blanket up higher. "If you were the second kind, neither of us would be alive right now."

Jared's eyelids were slipping closed, but he kept his gaze locked on Jensen's. "I don't…enjoy," he murmured. "Things I've done."

"I might not understand, but you can tell me about it later," Jensen replied, keeping his voice low and soothing. "Right now, you need rest."

He waited until Jared was asleep before rising to his feet. Wiping the back of his hand over his forehead, he picked up his medical supplies and closed the stall door. He was due back in town this evening, but he could set out some bread and water for Jared if he woke again. 

And at some point, he was going to have to figure out what to do with his unexpected barn guest.

 

Three more days passed before Jared was able to stand and walk on his own. He only made it as far as the stall door before Jensen had to prop him up with a shoulder. Still, he gave a tired smile that Jensen couldn't help but return.

"Think we can take the splint off," Jensen said. "If that didn't hurt."

"No pain, just too weak." Jared shook his head in frustration. "Can I sit on a bench or something? Gettin' tired of the ground."

"I can bring a stool in," Jensen said as he helped Jared lower himself back to the cushion of hay piled up against the back of the stall. "Eventually, we'll get you up to the porch steps."

"Not doin' that 'til I can run, or at least hide. Don't want anyone seeing me here." He grasped Jensen's hand. "Can't get you in trouble."

"You let me worry about my trouble," Jensen replied. He knelt beside Jared and shifted his grip so he could change the bandage.

"What _are_ you gonna do with me?" Jared asked.

"Hell if I know."

Jared snorted. "You could keep me around. I can do chores." He waited until Jensen was looking at him and then deliberately licked his lips. "All sorts of things I can do for you."

"I bet you can," Jensen said gruffly as he pulled off the bandage. He pursed his lips while he looked it over. The cut was healing nicely, slightly red around the edges but not with infection. He put a hand to Jared's forehead just to be sure. 

"I run warm," Jared said, breath puffing against Jensen's forearm.

"Yeah, I know," Jensen replied, trying to focus on Jared as a patient and not remember his warm, muscular body pinning Jensen down in his own bed. "You're no warmer than you have been." He removed his hand, unable to keep his fingers from trailing across Jared's forehead. "I think you're gonna be okay."

"Thanks, Doc," Jared said softly. He gave Jensen a small smile, the same real smile that he'd shared in Jensen's bedroom.

Jensen smiled back. Then he said lightly, "Good thing, 'cause I don't want my hard work going to waste." 

"Course not." Jared looked like he was going to say something else, then shook his head. "You got anything more substantial than bread?" was what he asked.

"Think you're up for stew?" Jensen asked.

"Been a long time since I had any meat," Jared replied with a smirk playing around the corners of his lips.

Jensen gave him a mock glare. "Are you _always_ thinkin' about your dick?"

"Only when you're around," Jared retorted, eyes twinkling. "It seems to…come up a lot then."

"Yeah, you're gonna be fine." Jensen clapped a hand to Jared's good shoulder as he got to his feet. "I'll bring you that stew later on. Get some rest in the meantime."

Outside the stable, Jensen leaned back against the wall and rubbed his jaw. Soon enough, Jared would be able to get around on his own. And then what? Jensen couldn't exactly keep him on as a hired hand. Nor could he just let him go—he didn't have a spare horse for Jared to ride, and the outlaw couldn't go walking around free when he was supposed to be dead. 

He let out a sigh. There would be time enough to figure all of that out. For now, there was still a lot of work to be done to get Jared healthy.

 

Later that evening, Jensen came out with a plate of the promised stew. Jared was dozing in the hay, but he woke up as soon as Jensen entered the stall, alert and half-reaching for a weapon that wasn't there. Jensen waited until his gaze had cleared before squatting down next to him. "Here, it's hot," he warned.

Jared took the metal plate and carefully set it down beside him. "Thanks," he said, diving in with the spoon. 

Jensen leaned back against the wall, stretching his legs out in front of him. "A new Most Wanted list came through on the Pony Express today. You're not on it anymore."

"I should be offended," Jared said between bites. He swallowed down another spoonful and said, "But I guess I'm relieved."

"Pellegrino must have reported what happened."

Jared snorted. "Yeah, I bet." He polished off the last bite and sat back next to Jensen, patting his belly. "That was good. Got any more?"

"Let's see how it sits with you first," Jensen replied. He offered a tin cup of water, and Jared gulped that down as well. "How are you feeling?"

"All right. Knee is sore, but thanks for taking the splint off."

"And your ribs?" Jensen gestured at Jared. "Lie down."

Jared raised an eyebrow, but he did as Jensen asked, stretching out so that his long legs nearly reached the stall door. The horse blanket was still covering him below the waist, though his bare feet stuck out at the other end. Jensen leaned over and began to gingerly feel his ribs for any signs of breakage that he might have missed earlier. He watched Jared's face closely, and though he winced once or twice, it didn't seem too bad.

"Breathe," Jensen ordered, and Jared drew in a deep breath. Hands spread wide on Jared's bare torso, Jensen closed his eyes and listened for any unusual sounds.

Finally, he opened his eyes and said, "Sounds good," with a pat to Jared's chest.

"Thanks, Doc," Jared said, his voice huskier than before. "If you, uh, could check a little lower as well?" he asked with a slight thrust of his hips.

Jensen glared at him. "Aside from your knee, I'm sure everything below your belt is in working order."

"But you don't know for sure."

"I didn't see any bruising or indication of injury when I first examined you."

Jared's eyebrows shot up as he drawled, "So you did get my clothes off right away. And I wasn't even awake to enjoy it."

"I thought you were dead." Jensen's voice was sharper than he had intended, and he sat back on his heels. "And then once I saw you here, you were in pretty bad shape."

"Don't I know it." Jared's expression had gone serious, and if Jensen hadn't already figured that his flirting was a front, that confirmed it. "I didn't know if you'd even be able to do anything for me. But I'm real grateful that you did, Sheriff." 

"I don't understand you." Jensen shook his head. "I'm the last person you should think of as safe. I spent the last eight months trying to bring you in."

"That makes us even, 'cause I don't understand why you trusted me in your bed like you did." Jared glanced up at him, and even though Jensen expected to see a smirk at the reminder of how he'd let Jared cuff him to his own bed, Jared's expression stayed serious. "Then you said you didn't want to see me hang. And I guess I believed you."

Jensen sighed. "That's still true." 

Jared gave him a small smile. The lines of pain had eased across his face, but the corners of his eyes were still tight. "So. what are you gonna do with me? Once I can get around?"

"We'll figure that out when we get to that point," Jensen said. "Right now, you still need help walking, and that shoulder needs to heal."

Jared regarded him for a moment longer before settling back into the straw. "In the meantime, uh…d'you think you could give me a hand with something?"

Jensen was about to ask Jared what he was talking about when the double meaning of his words clicked. He slowly shook his head. "You just don't give up, do you?"

"It's not that. It's—" Jared looked at him more intently. "Have you ever _known_ that you were gonna die?"

Jensen couldn't help but think of being overpowered in his own jail, a gun at his jaw held by the man beside him.

Something of what he was thinking must have shown on his face, because Jared gave a grimace. "Not just fear for your life. But knowing it was over. I was falling off that cliff—I could see the river down below me, and I knew when I hit it, that would be the end."

He spoke matter-of-factly, but it was still all Jensen could do to restrain himself from grabbing Jared's hand in reassurance. "But it wasn't," he said.

"Yeah, but…" Jared scrubbed his free hand over his face. "I just—I need to feel like I'm alive, you know?"

"Oh." Now that, Jensen did understand. He'd realized later that was part of the reason why he'd spread his legs for Jared in that same jail—the need to affirm life after being in a very precarious situation. 

He looked Jared over, taking in the purplish-yellow splotches on his ribs, the cloth binding holding his right arm in place, and the cuts scattered across his face. "I'm not sure you're up for it."

"Oh, I can be up for it." Despite the suggestive words Jared's tone of voice was calm. "I just need a hand." He gestured at his right arm, immobilized over his chest.

"I'd suggest you try your left for a change, but I don't want you scaring my horses in here." Jensen was pleased at the short bark of a laugh that Jared gave. 

Then he thought about it for a moment, seeing Jared spread out below him in the hay. Even if he was battered and bruised, he was still the tall drink of water Jensen hadn't been able to take his eyes off of after taking him into custody. There was a flare of heat rising up inside of Jensen despite of himself. 

Besides, wouldn't it be nice to have the tables turned for once?

He cleared his throat. "All right. Let's see how this goes."

"Why, Sheriff, you say the most romantic things," Jared drawled.

"Didn't think that was what you wanted my mouth for," Jensen retorted. When Jared's cheeks darkened in response, he grinned. "Lie back, Padalecki."

Jared settled himself into the hay, gingerly at first with his shoulder, and then going still. He stayed quiet as Jensen trailed his fingers up and down his chest, going back and forth from fingertips to the flat of his palms. When Jensen brushed a nipple on his way up, Jared's breath hitched, but that was all.

Jensen started to sweep lower with his touches. The blanket was just at the edge of Jared's waist, and Jensen's fingers grazed the edge of it. "You gonna be warm enough if I take this off?" he asked quietly, starting to lift the blanket.

"It's the middle of summer," Jared replied, but there was a slight hitch to his voice that had Jensen grinning to himself. 

He slowly pulled back the blanket. Figuring it would be easier now rather than later, he carefully unbuttoned what was left of Jared's jeans and eased them down his legs, leaving him bare.

Jared's hips were the same mottled purple as his torso, and there was a patch of scraped skin on his lower abdomen that looked to be healing just fine. His thighs were uninjured, though, and Jensen turned his attentions there, with the same light touches as before.

He paid careful attention to the rhythm of Jared's breathing, noting how it sped up as his hands strayed towards the insides of his legs. When Jared restlessly shifted his legs farther apart, Jensen took the hint and started stroking his inner thighs.

He was also paying close attention to Jared's cock, long enough to start with, but lengthening and thickening with each one of Jensen's touches. Jensen was starting to get hard himself, feasting his eyes and hands on the strong body laid out before him. 

"I 'preciate the concern, Doc, but you don't have to be so gentle."

Jensen's gaze flicked to Jared, who had his good arm behind his head to prop himself up and watch what Jensen was doing. "You asked for my help," he replied, not stopping his slow touches. "That means we do this my way."

"You better speed this up, or I'm gonna—"

Jensen lifted his hands. "Thought you couldn't do this on your own."

Jared grimaced. "I didn't realize you were gonna be such a tease about it."

"I seem to remember you takin' your time with me," Jensen shot back. "Can't handle it the other way around?"

"Oh, that's what this is?" Jared laid his head back down, a mulish expression on his face as he closed his eyes. "Fine. Do what you want."

Jensen looked at him for a moment longer before going right back to what he'd been doing. Jared's breathing stayed more regular than before, and Jensen wondered how hard he was working at it. Jensen certainly wasn't going to let him get away with it for long.

So, the next time he moved his hands upwards, he wrapped one around Jared's cock and gave it a long, firm stroke.

Jared's eyes flew open on a loud moan. Jensen gave him another stroke before returning to his lighter touches, this time up and down Jared's considerable length.

Jared's hips were shifting, the hay beneath him rustling with his movements. When Jensen lightly stroked the head of his shaft with only his fingertips, Jared's mouth fell open even as his hips pushed upwards. 

Jensen gave in and wrapped his hand around Jared's cock, starting with slow, light strokes. That got him a series of moans, sounding as frustrated as they did pleasurable. Jensen kept alternating between light and firm strokes, watching the slow flush spread across Jared's cheeks and chest. 

His own jeans were getting fairly uncomfortable, and after a moment, he used his free hand to yank open his button fly. Thumb teasing at the underside of Jared's cock, he pulled out his own and gave it a good, long stroke, sighing in relief.

Jared's eyes flew open. Jensen expected some sassy comment when he saw what was going on. Instead, Jared's eyes darkened, gaze fixed on Jensen's hand around his own cock. 

Jensen paused. "I'd get closer, but I don't want to aggravate any of your injuries." 

"Next time," Jared replied quickly. "Just don't stop."

Jensen didn't need to tease anymore now that he'd gotten the reaction he wanted. He braced his legs a little more firmly where he was kneeling on the floor and started to stroke both of them in unison.

Jared didn't stop watching Jensen touching himself, lips parted and tongue occasionally peeking out to wet them. His left hand at his side was clenching and releasing in a rhythm that matched Jensen's strokes, which made Jensen pretty sure that he could have taken care of things himself anyway. 

Not that Jensen minded, given how pretty of a picture Jared made sprawled out in the hay, sweat glistening on his chest and neck, cheeks flushed, and eyes dark. He was making half-grunts in time with the slight rocking of his hips that had Jensen thrusting more vigorously into his own hand. The muscles of Jared's thighs were tightening, hips starting to rise off the ground, and Jensen increased his tempo in response. 

"Faster," Jared demanded, and Jensen obeyed, gripping harder and moving even more quickly. Jared fairly growled in response, and the sound sent a ripple of arousal down Jensen's spine.

He was determined to make Jared come first, though, so he let go of his own cock to reach down and take Jared's balls in hand, gently tugging and rolling them even as he kept up the fast pace with his right hand.

"Oh, God," Jared groaned, and then he slammed his hand down on the floor and bucked upwards. He came over Jensen's hand, his own stomach, and the hay, collapsing back down with a long, drawn-out exhale.

Jensen couldn't stop—he took himself in hand and resumed the pace he'd been keeping, this time looking at Jared's satisfied form beneath him. In no time at all, he was coming over Jared's stomach, their seed mixing on his skin. 

When he looked up, Jared was watching him, eyes half-closed, a lazy smile on his face. "Sure do have a good bedside manner, Doc."

Jensen rolled his eyes before tucking himself back in and refastening his fly. "Just tryin' to help you relax so you heal faster," he replied. "Get you out of my hair sooner."

He wiped Jared off with the tail of his own shirt before carefully pulling Jared's jeans back up around his hips. When he'd fastened them, he looked up to see Jared's expression had turned serious. "Figured out what you're gonna do with me, then?" 

Jensen sighed. "Don't know yet. Don't have a spare horse to give you. Can't just turn you loose in case someone sees you and wonders where you've been all this time."

"I'm pretty good at staying hidden," Jared replied.

"That you are," Jensen admitted. He leaned back against the rough boards that made up the wall of the stall. "Where would you go?"

Jared shrugged one shoulder. "Maybe I'd just stay here." He waggled his eyebrows. "Could provide _services_ to you in exchange for room and board."

Jensen snorted. "That'd be good for a while, I reckon."

Jared's expression was almost wistful before he looked away. Stretching out in the hay, he closed his eyes. "You can't risk anyone finding me here, though. Soon as I can get around, I'd best be away."

Jensen had to swallow hard before he spoke. "Yeah, that's for the best."

"Thanks for the hand, though." Jared cracked one eye open enough to shoot Jensen a naughty look before closing it again. He wriggled a little as if getting comfortable, and then went still.

Jensen looked down at him, sprawled out trustingly in front of him. He had no idea what he was going to do with Jared, but he had the bad feeling that he was in way over his head on this. And it wasn't just in terms of breaking the law, he realized as he watched the slow rise and fall of Jared's chest. He could still feel how Jared had felt in his hand, how he'd looked when he came, and he couldn't help but wonder if he was ever going to get to experience that again. 

Rising to his feet, Jensen laid the blanket out over Jared. "There's water here in the canteen if you need it in the night."

"Thanks," Jared muttered, sounding halfway to sleep.

Jensen took the lantern with him when he went. For as welcome as his release had been, and how worn out he felt, he suddenly felt like sleep was going to be hard to come by tonight.


End file.
